Imaginary Lines
by Trickssi
Summary: Don't even tell me where we're going. Just walk by my side! Sheelos, Rodeo Ride Tour and DotNW spoilers; meant to tie into excruXiation.
1. A Glimpse

_Don't even tell me where we are going_

_Hands over my eyes, hands over my eyes_

_Don't even tell me where we are going_

_Just walk, just walk, just walk, just walk by my side_

**A Foreword on RODEO RIDE TOUR**

I was confused at the title of "Rodeo Ride Tour," the phrase being untranslatable in terms of colloquial understanding to English. Was Sheena saying her life was as wild as a rodeo? With, like, cows runnin' around waiting to be caught? And then I realized her voice actress wasn't saying "rodeo" so much as she was saying "Rodeo." Roh-DAY-oh.

Like the way aesthetes pronounce the ballet by Copland and de Mille, which I studied a bit in college; wherein, and I shit you not, the main character is a tomboyish "Cowgirl" (Sheena) trying to get the affection of the "Head Wrangler" (main character Lloyd) but he's totally more into the "Rancher's Daughter" (subdued Colette). She makes a fool of herself trying to get his attention and does the opposite of what the Rancher's Daughter would do. The Cowgirl then finds herself partnerless at the dance until the "Champion Roper" (Um, hi, Zelos; especially in the part where he's trying to impress all the ladies and falls on his ass) approaches her and she realizes she's not quite as alone as she thought.

So, I'm adopting this American pop culture idea and applying it to what is otherwise a typical Japanese are-they-or-aren't-they romance. Much of the dialogue can stick around, but I've modified phrases to be more in line with the English script. I'm just gonna fill in a few holes to make the whole thing more… digestible. Sincerely. I love Japanese works, but they lack something when it comes to understanding _why_, exactly, these two are drawn to each other.

And it seriously doesn't help that in the '73 ABT version, the Wrangler and the Roper are both wearing red, and the Daughter's wearing white with blue accents. I think that costuming was my "aha" moment. It was the moment I knew I needed to make this work, no matter how long it would take me.

Where "Rodeo" is a bit of a stretch for a theme, Walk the Moon's "Fixin'" is less of a stretch for representing the voice of Zelos on this journey. There isn't a line I'd question in terms of whether it applied. The lyrics of this song guide me but not in such a limiting way as the outdated "songfic." At least, I hope. There is much to be said when a fanfic is supported by distinguished artistic media! (Can you tell I have a liberal arts education yet?) Aaaaaand now you have the lens with which to fully enjoy my speculations. Congratulations on our PS3 bundle, y'all!

* * *

**1. A GLIMPSE**

He'd been planning for some time to make his great escape. Trouble was, every time he was resolved to leave for good, it seemed like his little sister came down with a flu that nearly brought her to death's door. And so, he'd set out from his mansion in the dead of night to make a trip to the South East Abbey, stay with her until she was well, and leave before she realized how long he'd been there. This would have been about the seventh time.

The Exsphere just wasn't working for Seles. And on top of that, Lloyd was making a concentrated effort to punish anyone who owned an Exsphere, even going so far as to destroy them. The clear solution, then, was to hide the Cruxis Crystal with Seles and high-tail it back to Meltokio before anyone figured out he wasn't there. Would've been so much more convenient to just take her back with him, "but Zelos," she'd whine, "all my stuff is here!"

By some stroke of luck, being out of town to exchange his Cruxis Crystal allowed him to avoid the attack upon the Wilder Estate. Someone, some strange person leaving the moniker of "Bomb Wizard," threw bombs over the walls to the courtyard and obliterated a section of the wall as well as most of the greenery. Sebastian was quick to order Papal Knights to guard the wall, but the vandals had fled before anyone saw them under the cover of night.

"What the hell is this?!" Zelos wailed upon seeing the damage still charring.

"Master Zelos, there appears to be a bounty on your head. I thought Papal Knights would be the wisest solution, for the time being," Sebastian explained.

"We'd better find something more long-term. They're going to be busy at Carnivale tomorrow."

One of the Papal Knights turned his head to the side and a huff of air escaped from his gilded helmet. It was no secret that the Pope hadn't been the biggest fan of the Chosen. The Knights remained loyal to the crown and the Chosen for the sole purpose of preserving the religion under Cruxis. As it were, Zelos happened to know quite a few secrets about Cruxis that could destroy the Church and undermine the whole of Tethe'alla.

Not that Zelos would commit that sort of treason. Old Zelos might have. New Zelos was busy dealing with a few more pressing matters.

"Goddamn Carnivale," he muttered.

Zelos strode back into the mansion with Sebastian scuttling, as ever, not too far behind.

"Master Zelos, are you still planning on attending the procession this evening?"

Zelos leaned against a polished counter in the kitchen. "Gotta appease my hunnies, don't I?"

Sebastian smirked. "I'll have the racing briefs picked up from the dry cleaner."

"Make sure you get some for those guys, too," Zelos gestured to the guards planted in the back courtyard. "I can't have them ruining my entourage."

Carnivale in Meltokio was campaigning to replace Martel's Day as a new worldwide celebration: a brightly-yet-minimally-clothed song and dance festival enjoyed by all. It was invented for the anniversary of the uniting of Tethe'alla and Sylvarant. You know the day; the one with the Tree. For Meltokio's particular celebration, the Church promoted a procession of the royal members down the grand steps of Meltokio as a sign of good will to all class levels within the city. Zelos's original plan had been stripping a layer of clothing upon landing on each level of the city until he was wearing just a skimpy bathing suit brief—drive the ladies wild. But now, he was thinking, all that wasn't seeming like such a good idea. It wasn't like they had practiced the procession or promised any individual protection against acts of violence.

Bombing the Wilder estate itself. In all the years he'd lived there, through all the difficulties with his mother's murder and his father's suicide, nobody had ever attacked the very property on which Zelos lived. Sebastian had been the only bodyguard he needed. You'd never guess it looking at him now, though. The years were unkind to the lines on Sebastian's face and the tone of his muscle.

It wasn't that Zelos needed a bodyguard, exactly. The Cruxis Crystal provided him with the strength and agility to subdue or evade nearly any foe. When he had it, that was. Now he was hiding his sister's Exsphere while she had the Cruxis Crystal to calm her recurrent respiratory distress. Using a plain Exsphere to bring out his abilities was like catching a whale with a cottonball. If he could, he'd just get rid of the damn Exsphere. Drop it in Lloyd's hand. Be done with it.

But Seles couldn't have the Cruxis Crystal all the time. As long as monsters still existed, he'd need it to fight them off. As long as mana still existed, actually. It was one of those theories Zelos had read about in a mathematical text. Just a little more time and he'd have explored it in detail. But it was too late. The evening of Carnivale would be upon them and no theory of math would keep another bomb from being lobbed into the right place.

"I do hope you have a backup plan in case this turns into a spectacle of martyrdom," Sebastian said, a tone of worry lining his words.

Zelos had to laugh. "You doubt me, Sebs. Already taken care of!" He waved a hand and slipped through the door frame into the study. Now, to arrange for Manuelo the gardener to make a surprise visit.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Orochi reread the words of the crumpled letter in his hands.

_'Special enforcements will be... kinda fearing for my life a little bit... Do a guy a favor. After all, I did getcha the new job, didn't I?'_

"Oh, my," Orochi muttered. He re-crumpled the letter and stared at the envelope in which it had arrived. Addressed to the Emissary of Peace, it was sealed with the Chosen's emblem and rather hastily scrawled. Since the Emissary of Peace had been busy being the Chief of Mizuho at the time, Orochi elected to open and read it.

"Chosen thinks he's got it all figured out," Orochi rationalized to no one in particular. The letter had been a request for some discreet backup during Carnivale so that the Chosen of Tethe'alla wouldn't fall victim to an attack similar to the one on his home.

Orochi was quick to use an instant-burning powder to vanish the letter into thin air.

It wasn't because he was feeling more spiteful than usual. Mizuho had been building a team of specialized intelligence officers for these new situations. After all, such a resource as an Emissary connecting Tethe'alla to Sylvarant could break into an untapped market for ensuring peace and safety of the residents of the United World. It would be the Tethe'alla Mizuho Information Network that would begin to use their stealth and magic to fill that position.

The special agents of T-MIN had already been planning measures to protect the city of Meltokio from a disaster of terrorism. That fact was inevitable. A man thinking he was a "Bomb Wizard" had sent out a threatening message to them, warning of a magnificent spectacle to exceed the light of the fireworks in the sky. In other words, a direct threat on the lives of the people attending Carnivale.

Orochi and the others were behind in hearing the news about the bombing at the Wilder estate; although, according to Sheena, "that stupid Chosen could have stopped it if he wanted to." Perhaps it was the Bomb Wizard's test to arouse the curiosity and heighten the awareness of the Chosen. Or, perhaps these events were unrelated. Regardless, Sheena didn't need to know about this compounded ignorance of the Chosen, especially since she tended to show him such disregard.

"Orochi!"

The man straightened at his desk and looked expectantly at the doorway. "Yes, Chief?"

Sheena, informal as ever, strode into the room. "I'm done with that paperwork. When are we leaving for the next operation again?"

Orochi took a deep breath. "Oh, sometime in the next few hours. It's really up to you," he said quickly.

"And no news since then?" She opened a filing cabinet labeled "outgoing" in the far corner and unceremoniously stashed a stack of papers inside it.

"None, indeed."

The birds chirped outside as though someone had forgotten the town still rested in the Forest of Death.

* * *

A ring of the doorbell brought Zelos down from making the final adjustments to his costume. By the time he'd made it down the two flights of stairs, Sebastian had already let the bedazzled guest in.

"Master Zelos!"

Before the Chosen could grasp exactly which one of his hangers-on was screaming his name, she was clinging to him with her face in his shoulder. Oh, the sobbing—that was definitely Elena. The girl was a Smithton from the line of Counts, and she'd been to the Wilder estate many a time in the past. Not so much recently, though. She looked up at him with bleary eyes.

"Dear Elena," Zelos managed, "What brings you here?" He flashed a panicked look at Sebastian, who was shaking his head and turning away.

"I heard! I heard about the accident! I can't believe you're okay," she gasped through her tears.

Quite okay, Zelos straightened up. "Cheer up, there. It was nothing more than a fluke."

When Elena stopped crying, Zelos could better see her costume. She was wearing an enormous hoop skirt that showed the boning on the outside. The fabric there was sheer and showed legs painted with stripes and curls. And bursting forth from this skirt at the top was a bird. Long fabric wings, a tiny waistlet, and way more cleavage than a flying creature ought to have. Even as he stood there, he saw tiny bits of feather being tossed around in the light. Sebastian would be picking feathers from the carpet for weeks.

"But... they said there was an explosion!" she yelped.

Zelos had to think quickly. This girl was nothing if not an insufferable gossip, and already it seemed the gossip cloud was moving quickly. If the papers got a hold of this, it would be the end of his freedom for good.

"An explosion of manliness, maybe," Zelos assuaged. He took her hands gently. "I was just practicing a spell that went wrong. And I know," holding a finger up to her lips, "that I don't often make mistakes, but even such a perfect specimen as I can miscalculate very intricate equations such as magic!"

"Oh," Elena giggled. "That math stuff. I guess it can be pretty complicated."

"Exactly, my parakeet. Say, isn't it getting a bit late for you to be hangin' around here if you want a good spot for the procession?"

Elena batted her eyes. "Brittania's maid is saving our spots at the front of the overhang. I'm not worried."

This, again. "Well, I'll be sure to wave. Give my regards to the Countess."

"Aww, Chosen One, can't you come have fun with me for once?"

"I'm..." Zelos trailed, again looking to Sebastian. "Sorry, I just need some time to complete my look and get to the palace."

"You're so mean, Master Zelos," Elena whined. "Promise you'll find me after?"

He stared at her. Her crooked teeth and her pushed-up breasts and her hooker-glitter eyes. That ridiculous caged bird dress, signifying nothing. He could have said yes, he could have had her so many times before. Somehow, it didn't seem worth it. Like she could tame a wild horse, anyway. The sheer mount of things Zelos had seen in the world, the number of places he'd been—could someone like her truly be able to keep up with that? "So mean," as though she were the only focus of her life. He wondered how she'd react if he'd let the curtain down and show her the true meaning of cruelty.

It wasn't worth it. And maybe _this_ was what kept him from the real freedom.

"Sure enough."

"Do you like my costume, at least?" Elena prompted, giving a little twirl.

He pursed his lips together and raised an eyebrow. "Ah, I see... you're supposed to be...?"

"The legendary bird, Aska!"

Zelos all but cackled. "Aska? That's... fantastic, you do look like a shimmering bird!" Compared to the real Aska, this version was muddied and cheap. Actually, it looked nothing like Aska at all, and after a moment Zelos suspected that it was a leftover costume from All Saints' Day—from the looks of the seams—about eight years ago.

"And what are you supposed to be?"

Elena was inspecting him, but there was little to inspect. He was wearing regular clothing. In fact, the only thing missing was his signature salmon surcoat. The costume he'd been working on was a mask he'd designed a few years ago that would hide both his face and his hair. This year, though, he'd have a cape to go with it, and he'd be free to roam the streets without suspicion. Albeit, part of him was still a little sad he wasn't going through with the strip idea.

"It's a surprise, you see. You'll see me around, that's for sure! But if one little tweeting bird doesn't leave this cage, I can't make my transformation complete," he soothed. He threw in a wink for good measure.

Elena smiled and curtseyed politely. "Say no more. I'll leave you to it... Master Zelos," she crooned. He would have given her a swift, emphatic pat on the back as she left through the door, but too late he realized he'd already gotten glitter on his good gloves.

* * *

He watched from a packed stairwell. When he was wearing that mask, not a single person seemed to recognize him.

It happened after the minstrels and jesters and low court and high court. It was after the princess's ladies-in-waiting dressed in little more than bikinis. It was after the Pope and the royal party and the announcers. In the corner of the sky, instead of fireworks, two giant flares grew larger and the heat beamed down on an already sweating crowd.

One of the fireballs was bright red and misty around the edges, but the other was most definitely a highly explosive bomb blast. And standing on top of the wall, hundreds of meters below, was a woman in dark robes.

Among cheers and gasps of relief, some grimy-looking man shouted, "Nice legs!"

Oh, was he lucky that the woman hadn't heard him. Zelos knew from experience that Sheena wasn't awfully keen on catcalls. It was her, right? Who else would have been able to call upon that grumpy Summon Spirit? Which means she got his message...

There it was, still smoldering in the sky. That bomb was meant for him. There was no alternative. There was nobody else who would have caught it and saved every citizen aside from Sheena.

When he looked for her again, she had gone.

Damn. The one person he'd wanted to talk to about this whole affair. How was he going to reach her now? Letters screened by her second-in-command wouldn't suffice.

Zelos didn't stick around to see the reactions of the crowd. He'd seen it already. Where could he even start? Palmacosta. Heimdall. Luin. Sure, the relief of not becoming any of those cities would be foremost, but in the back of their minds, the people would be anticipating disaster. Much as he hated what that town stood for, Meltokio was a little fragile these days. Not even the Coliseum was bringing in enough revenue to keep up with the population's needs. Before too long, it was almost inevitable that Meltokio would be replaced by a younger, fresher, newly furbished Palmacosta as the capital of the world.

Behind his eyes, he saw a glimpse of what that future could be. Palmacosta and the whole of Sylvarant would flourish, and Lloyd would be mayor of everything. Sheena would single-handedly unite both empires. Maybe it would take the pressure off. Maybe Zelos could step down as the Chosen and live out the remainder of his days in the quiet corner Meltokio could provide, hanging out at the bar and telling old war stories.

But then, maybe the people of Tethe'alla wouldn't take too kindly to sharing. There might be revolts. There might be more acts of violence by the people toward each other. More misguided acts of terror aimed at one person but murdering so many. The prisons couldn't take it. Meltokio would overcrowd, overpopulate with impoverished citizens who would grow tired of their King. They'd behead their Chosen almost doubtlessly; and while sometimes Zelos still thought that wouldn't be so bad, it meant he wouldn't be able to protect his sister. He paled.

The streets were empty in the district of the nobles and he was able to amble to the mansion freely. But there were no Papal Knights around. Sebastian wasn't waiting for him at the door as usual.

"What, did he think he could get the night off if I'd died?" Zelos thought aloud, lingering in the foyer. He looked at the shadows cast by the wall sconces; the high, vaulted ceiling; the little chairs just upstairs; the bannister and its dark wood. Even though it wasn't built just for him, he loved this house. He thought again of the terrorist's bomb in the garden. What if it had gotten closer? This fortress would be gone. There was only so much hiding he could do before being dragged out one way or another. The way he saw it, there was only one factor that made this place and everywhere he went dangerous, and that was him.

He took to the stairs calmly, making sure to glide his hand up that sturdy bannister. He used to sit on it at the top and balance as he slid all the way down, much to the disdain of his caretakers. Bah, but there were no longer any caretakers. And Sebastian had to have been running an errand.

There was a hidden panel in the back of Zelos's walk-in closet, and that's just where he found the packed rucksack he was looking for. He'd done that months ago after he'd gotten settled in from the Regeneration journey. Hypocritical, yes. After all, that Derris Emblem incident would be hard to forget, but in this day and age, and with the sharing of technology between Sylvarant and Tethe'alla bringing news of the world to the masses more readily, he had to be prepared for anything. It wasn't running away in the face of difficulty.

_Don't look at me like that, you stupid half of a piece of a golden spider_.

Just to be sure, he lifted the top of the rucksack and recounted his goods. Dry provisions; matches; water, water bottle, purification tablets; a small notebook in which he'd handwritten every handy spell he knew in the Angelic language to keep them secret; a couple of potion bottles, zipped in a plastic bag at Seles's instruction, and don't ask why; gels stuffed in the bottom; whetting stone; a change of clothes; that mocking, four-legged spider thing. On top of it all, he kept a blanket rolled up inside a sleeping bag. It looked pretty similar to what he carried on the Regeneration journey, although stuffed with a few more life-saving items.

There. That was it. But for now, he was keeping his mask and his costume nearby, because he was fairly certain he'd need those, too.

He looked at himself in the mirror, preened. He let the adrenaline flow, then dissipate into radiating pain. Then, he practiced that world-famous grin. "Chin up, Chosen. This could be fun. It's the vacation you always wanted," he told himself. Then, he picked up the rucksack, headed down to the kitchen to write a quick note, and set out on his errand.

* * *

About a mile from the village of Mizuho, Zelos felt a fluttering down to his fingertips. He'd been walking all night just to get there in time, seeing as he couldn't fly without the support of the Cruxis Crystal (or the missing Rheiards) and needed too much anonymity to take the usual coaches. But the feeling came not from lack of sleep.

He was going to see Sheena in her village for the first time since he'd been at her emissary ceremony. This time, he was alone, unannounced, and unexpected. Would it surprise her? Just how pissed would her Grandpa be if he found out that Zelos was here for completely unofficial business? He was crawling out of his skin.

In no time, he approached the gate to the town and greeted by a group of young girls in traditional clothing.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

Still masked, Zelos decided to play up the mystery. After all, they looked to be younger than his sister. "One who wishes to speak with the Chief of Mizuho," he said. "I would have one of you go fetch her immediately."

The girls looked at each other before one spoke up. "I'll go. Interrogate him while I inform the Chief." She trotted along the dirt path far into the village.

"You all are getting formal around here," Zelos observed.

"Don't get cute with us," one girl sneered. She wore her hair in a tight bun at the top of her head, the kind of bun you'd see on stern grandmothers.

"I don't know, you might want me to!" Zelos retorted. Oh, they'd be putty in his hands.

Another girl raised her hand to her back, preparing a knife that was sheathed there. "Just who are you and what do you want with the Chief?"

"Why," he said, now removing his mask and hat, "I'm the Great Zelos Wilder!"

At once, their sneers turned to wide-open, squealing mouths. What little hope they had of appearing professional was obliterated, and he could only hope they were as young as they sounded.

"It's him!"

"It's really you!"

"HE'S ACTUALLY HERE IN MIZUHO!"

And, all at once, the siren, "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Uh oh.

They lunged at him—not even wishing to embrace him so much as pet him with rough and terrifying force.

"To think that you'd deign to visit us in these back woods!" the bun-headed girl gasped. "Allow me to escort you wherever you need to go!"

Before he knew it, someone's elbow was in his face.

"Don't listen to _her_, Chosen. I'll gladly show you around!"

"No, Chosen, _I _will help you during your stay!"

"What do you mean? I called him first!" the second one shouted.

"No, I did!" Bun-headed one.

"I want him _more_!"

"Wasn't it me first, Chosen?"

He had to admit, it was nice to have this attention. All these young, nubile bodies clambering for acknowledgment. They all quieted as he opened his mouth. "It's tough being popular. But now, my hunnies, you've gotta stop fighting with each other! The Great Zelos Wilder doesn't love you any less whether there are three or three hundred of you!"

"But Chosen, I don't want to have to share you!" the second guard whined.

"Well, aren't _you_ forward!" the third one shouted. And just then, Zelos could feel his ribcage again, and the girls backed off to wrestle with each other instead. In the distance, Zelos could see a figure in red approaching.

"... Oh, oh, my poor heart," he improvised, more loudly than he probably should have. He clasped over his chest sweepingly.

One of them noticed. "Chosen One!"

"Oh, my, Chosen One! Are you hurt?"

"Ah! Only when I see my darling hunnies fighting. You see, my fragile heart can't take it... do you hear it cracking at the thought of you getting hurt? We gotta do this peacefully, y'know?"

Just as the girls were about to launch themselves onto him once more, a voice stopped them in their tracks.

"All right, all right! Aaaaand you're done, ladies. Yes?" Sheena struggled to tear them away both from Zelos and each other. "His idiocy is contagious, you know. Now scram! Get back to your duties like decent citizens!"

When the mess was all sorted and the girls moping back to their post, Zelos couldn't help but smile.

"Been a while," he greeted. When she didn't go crazy like the fanatics, he continued, "How 'bout that Carnivale? That was sure exciting. But for you to leave without saying hello—my fragile heart can't take it—" He imitated the scene he'd just created with the crowd of women.

"... And?" Sheena spat, not even looking him in the eye.

"... And what?"

"And what brings _you_ here?"

"Oh, that!" Zelos laughed. Why was she being so cold...? "Well, y'see, this is the sort of thing that's best discussed over a glass of wine and some privacy..."

"Listen, if you don't have business, then I'm afraid you'll have to leave!" She crossed her arms and scowled.

"Geez, what's with you? Well, I—Actually, I just came to say hello, since you wouldn't do me the favor last night." When she didn't respond, he grasped for a reason. "… And maybe I need some advice."

There it was. "Advice?"

"Yeeeeah. It's one of those things that we should talk about out of earshot of those ones." He gestured to the girls from earlier, who had still been staring at him longingly.

Sheena's face softened. "I see. Well, let's get this over with, I guess. Follow me," she instructed. She began down the dirt path.

"We goin' to your place?"

"You should be so lucky, Zelos," she drawled. "But no, we're going to my office."

He followed her through the familiar scenery and they entered through the back to reach her new meeting room. It was an annex to the building he'd visited during the Regeneration and absent of Tiga or Sheena's grandfather. The room was Mizuho-style with special mats around the room and a thick air of seriousness. There was something strange about the door in the back, though—probably some sort of trap.

After he kicked off his shoes, Zelos stepped in. He shouldn't have been surprised to see Orochi sitting in the corner, seeing as he'd turned into some sort of bodyguard of hers. Yet there he was, legs crossed and brow furrowed. "Chosen One," he grumbled.

"Orochi. Good to see you," Zelos said through a forced grin. Meanwhile, Sheena sat in the middle of the floor.

"Well, let's talk, then!" she prompted.

Nervously, Zelos sat down. Just as he was about to protest her, his stomach did the talking. It rumbled loudly enough to fill the room. "Uhh... Sorry 'bout that. I really am hungry. Been traveling all night and all morning, you see," he explained.

Sheena looked at him, then at Orochi. "Fine. Orochi, go ahead and get this guy some of the leftovers from yesterday," she ordered.

"Yes, my Chief." Orochi rose to his feet and kept his eyes leering at Zelos until he was well out of the room.

They say tensely for a moment. Zelos was content just to gaze at her, try to figure out what was going on. Her eyes did seem a little more tired than usual—but who was he to judge? He probably needed that mask to look himself, although Meltokio might say differently. He was sure she was scrutinizing him the same way before she broke away and looked to the window.

"Well, you just looked like you weren't going to budge unless you had something," she muttered.

"What was that?" He almost hadn't caught it.

"N-nothing. If you don't want to get this over with, I'm going to get behind on my work..."

"You'll be fine," he assured.

They waited in silence for the remainder of the time it took Orochi to bring the soup, and even then, the only sound was Zelos's attempt at respectful slurping. Orochi looked a little pale returning to his corner in silence.

He stared down the last bits of the soup in its traditional bowl, then looked up at Sheena. "So, there's this trip."

"... A trip?" she repeated.

"Yep." He finished the soup with one unceremonious gulp, and set the bowl down in front of him. "Seconds?"

Sheena waved her hand in front of her face. "Forget about seconds! What do you mean, a trip? Were you thinking you were going on one?"

"What do you mean, 'what do you mean?' Nothing to mean. The trip's just a trip. Gotta make some good publicity, too," Zelos rambled. "I can see it now. Who's that guy in the papers? "_The Great Chosen's Journey Across the Countries_, by Friedrich Callon. _A gleaming knight—_no—_The Chosen of Prosperity's coat of arms glitters in the sun_—"

"What are you going to do about your duties?" Sheena asked, point-blank. She was sitting forward, more formally than ever.

"Duties?" he echoed. He could feel the stiff air enveloping him.

"I mean," Sheena clarified, "Even if the whole... Regeneration is over, aren't you considered to be a leader?"

"Yeah, 'considered' to be..."

"So, there are things you've still gotta do, right? Ceremonies, peace treaties, dealing with internal government, being Tethe'alla's ambassador... stuff like that? Um... you know, fighting for... what am I thinking of?" She looked sidelong to Orochi.

The second-in-command was quick to jump in. "Justice?"

"Justice! That's it," Sheena finished. "Giving the people what they need."

Zelos shifted, uncomfortable sitting on his shins. "Uh, well, you know... I _do_ do that, and all... But even someone as energetic as I am can get tired every once in a while," he explained. "And do you really think I've done a great job as an ambassador, Sheena? You know what I'm talking about, Orochi."

Orochi coughed. "Well, it, ah... it's as you say."

"Precisely! And with Tethe'alla and Sylvarant being all united and not in need for that little human sacrifice thing, the Chosen system will be phased out forever. Right? Might as well jump ship while I still can!"

"Completely irresponsible as ever, aren't you?" Sheena snorted.

"Heh. That might be it," Zelos hinted. If by "phased out," he meant "forcefully assassinated by uninformed terrorists who simultaneously kill everyone in Meltokio," that was right. _Irresponsible_. Was it irresponsible to remove himself from that situation? He took a deep breath. "I mean, a lot of things will might better this way, in the end."

He saw that she was staring at him intently. "So? What, you really did _just_ swing by to say hello before heading out?"

Without missing a beat, Zelos shouted, "Yep!"

"... And?" Sheena continued to stare at him like he was a sewer rat with the head of a goat. Or something more provincial—he guessed they didn't have as many sewers out here.

"A...and?"

"The advice," Sheena said. "That's the other thing you wanted?"

"Ohhhhhh, _that_ advice! The advice I advised you to advise me! That advice, riiight," Zelos searched. Well, with Orochi sitting there, he was only going to get so much leverage. It'd be two-against-one no matter what was said around here because she dared not disrespect her village. But he was sitting in the corner...

"Can you come a little closer?" he asked, leaning forward.

"Um—"

"I mean, it's not something I can say out loud," he announced, tossing a look Orochi's way. He lowered his voice, "Either send out your wrong-hand man over there, or give me your ear—you choose!"

Sheena almost looked at Orochi, but instead lurched forward and offered her left ear. "All right, go ahead."

He thought about saying something actually perverted to see how she'd react. Would she keep her cool? Would Orochi, if he knew what was being said? Perhaps it would be better to goof off a little, yes. "Oh, it's just," Zelos started. Then he blew the rest of the air in his lungs straight into her ear.

Sheena didn't slap him, but she did scream, fly across the room, and guard her ear with her hand, her face entirely red.

Zelos laughed so hard he could have puked. And when that ebbed and she was still fuming, he said, "Hah! Oh, man, from the look on your face, it looks like I've found an erogenous zone—!"

"Y—you jackass!" she howled. "You're going to pay for this!" She turned the meeting table sideways and pushed it to the wall to leer over him. Before he even knew it, she'd whipped out a seal—from where?!—and had begun to chant her ancient Mizuhoan spell. This was much worse than the foot-in-the-face he'd anticipated.

"Whoa—whoa—hey! Time out! Time out! I-won't-do-it-again-I-promise—SHEENA!" He fell to his side to curl up in a protective ball, still suppressing laughter. "Sorrysorrysorrysorry, I said I'm SORRY! I surrender!" At that point, the card was gone, but Sheena was still looming and poised to strike. Man, she was pretty when she was angry. And if she was that angry, did it mean there was a grain of truth, there? Only one way to find out.

"... wow, you really can't take a joke!" he muttered, sitting back up.

"GET. TO. THE POINT," she demanded.

Zelos looked at Orochi, who was sitting bemusedly. "Fine, fine, the point is... It's not really advice, more like company. Wanna join me?"

"J... join you."

"On the trip!"

"The... trip? _That_ trip?"

"Won't you please join me in my travels?" he asked, bowing slightly. There was the adrenaline again. It wasn't often he asked for something, much less from Sheena. She had to have known how difficult it was for him to get that out, right?

Sheena slowly sat down and continued to look at the floor.

"Don't make that face," he rambled. "When I say 'trip' I don't mean something short and definite. We could head north, or go wherever the wind takes us. Doesn't even matter. We could find a nice spot to relax at the hot springs, or go eat the day's catch at the coast! Seriously, eat until we puke and drink the local potion 'til we die! Doesn't that sound like the best time of your life? We should just go have some fun, y'know?"

Sheena's flabbergasted stare revealed thoughts between _are you kidding me_ and _didn't you get this out of your system in your party days_.

"I could go by myself, but it just wouldn't be the same without my number one hunny. Imagine poor old me, far from home and all alone," he sang pitiably. "Come onnnnn, it isn't like you to be so quiet when I'm talking like –"

It wasn't Sheena, but Orochi who rose to his feet. "I've had enough. You must leave," the disciple ordered. Though his tone was even, his hands gripped his hips tensely. Zelos had to admit that he didn't remember anyone standing over him like this since his father was alive. Wasn't like anyone would hold him accountable.

"Chosen One," Orochi continued. "Immediately."

Zelos took his time to stand and meet Orochi eye-to-eye (although Zelos's eyes were undoubtedly a few inches higher up than the Mizuhoan's). "Well gee, what's got your panties in a bunch? Feelin' feisty today, are we?"

Sheena sat motionless atop the woven mats, not tearing her eyes away from the floor.

"Unlike some leaders I know, the Chief of Mizuho has a strong sense of responsibility," Orochi spat through bared teeth.

Zelos felt a spike of excitement. Orochi kind of resembled his brother when he got angry, didn't he? "Hah! Strong sense of responsibility," he implied. Some responsibility Kuchinawa had. "So what? It's not like I need you to tell me what Sheena's like. I know her from head to toe! And I really mean that, by the way." Zelos leaned forward and wrought his mouth into a contemptuous grin.

"I cannot allow you to disgrace Sheena that way!" Orochi shouted. From thin air, he drew two fists full of throwing knives.

Zelos popped his sword up from its hilt with his thumb, coolly as ever. "I can't wait until she sees your true colors, you—"

"ENOUGH!"

Sheena had slammed her fist to the ground and rattled the air with her voice. It was enough for Orochi to retreat his weapons momentarily.

"Zelos," she continued, "I get what you're trying to say."

"Oh, good! Glad to see we're done here," Zelos eagerly replied, freeing his hand from his sword and waving it in the air.

"But how can you call yourself a man?"

As Sheena's head lifted, Zelos connected a confused look. "Wh... what...?"

"I can't say I comprehend what it means to be the Chosen. You didn't choose the burdens that come with that title. But what I don't get," Sheena paused, "I don't get how you keep wanting to throw it away. When are you going to learn that the people of the world still need you, especially now?! How long is it going to take for you to do your duty?"

Boy, didn't she know how to hit below the belt. Zelos could feel his ears burning, but bless that red hair for keeping his secret. Coming from anyone else, that line would have meant nothing. But here he was, sitting in the very place of her business goings-on, feeling very small under the hostile eyes of Orochi. Had it come down to this already?

Being held accountable wasn't something Zelos had anticipated. Even Sebastian let him get away with near-murder and tossed it out with a joke and a knowing look. Perhaps some weight sat in what Lloyd had to say when it came to responsibility—especially considering how trusting Lloyd was able to be in the face of betrayal itself. But when Lloyd spouted justice and righteousness and loyalty and all the other stuff, it was just that: spouting. Not really from a place of analysis or experience. But Sheena...

And who the hell was she to talk? The one who ran away from Volt? Were we forgetting this, here? Zelos tried to clamber his way up the slippery slope of ill logic. It wouldn't make him feel strong within the confines of this city. There was that old tug.

"If you wanna call yourself a man, you'd better get your act together and take a hold of your future already!"

He stared past her head like a schoolboy.

Well, fine, then.

"My bad! Can't believe I'd fall for that. So uncool, right?" he laughed through his mask. He about-faced and headed for the too-low-for-foreigners door. "I'll be outta your hair. Maybe I'll bring you back a souvenir. Y'know, you should keep an eye out while you're on duty!"

He was almost gone when he heard a small, porcelain, "You think... a souvenir...?" So he looked back, really hoping he wouldn't see her expression.

"I just don't have the guts. Not cut out for it. So good luck to you; do your best."

Again with his back to her, he heard her continue: "_I_ do my best without being told. I'm not like you."

Zelos paused and considered fighting it, but she was right. And if she wasn't going to help him get through this, then let her stay. He showed himself out, barely muttering a farewell; embarrassed, raw, exhausted.

But the great escape had to begin somewhere.

* * *

Special thanks, as always, to WingedDancer for the translation of Rodeo Ride Tour!


	2. I've Got A Feeling

**2. I'VE GOT A FEELING**

"_Behind the Bomb  
Friedrich Callon of the_ _New World_ _Times_

_Fireworks dazzle the star-freckled night sky as attendees of the first annual Carnivale look up with expectant eyes. Streaks of green and blue and red glitter around slivers of clouds. But a beeping sound pervades the summer's-end air—it's a bomb, rising higher and higher until it explodes amongst the starry heaven! Such was the scene this previous Saturday in Meltokio's Lower Square when an attack was narrowly evaded._

_During the fireworks show, thousands of Tethe'allans from all classes were shocked to see a bright flash of light that didn't fit the typical firework stencil. As our sources would have it, a mystery bomber attempted to endanger the lives of this great country's citizens. The bomb had been placed deep within the inner wall of the city._

_Several _ninja_ agents from Mizuho were at the scene._

_'We're just doing our job to protect the denizens of Tethe'alla,' said O-san, who is involved with the newly developed Tethe'allan Mizuho Information Network (TMIN). He states that the reconnaissance mission was spurred by an anonymous tip from someone likely involved with the bomber._

_In conjunction with the bombings, one suspect has been detained. The suspect goes by the name 'Bomb Wizard' and is a 76-year-old male with a manic mental disorder. He is currently being held at the Palace Prison awaiting investigation and prosecution. However, given his condition, can this man truly be the sole suspect in this case?_

_Even more suspicious on the eve of Carnivale was the absence of Tethe'alla's Chosen One, Zelos Wilder. There exists no report of his being present at Carnivale despite the glamorous and deceptive costumes worn by all. Is there a correlation between the bomb and the absence of the Chosen? Could it be that the Chosen is conspiring with the Sylvaranti, given his ties to Sir Bud Irving? One thing is for certain: the first Carnivale will surely never be forgotten, and we hope that the tradition of a bomb will never recur._"

Sebastian read the headline again. "Behind the Bomb." Not the best work for someone who was supposed to report news and not scandalize it. Still, he folded it over and placed it neatly on the granite counter top so that he could save it for Zelos to see. Vain as he was, the boy liked to read articles that condemned rather than praised him. Sebastian was faithful to those wishes since the birth of the _New World Times_ earlier that year.

He glanced out the window, where Manuelo the gardener was pacing and pointing things out to his subordinates. They'd have to rip out the entire far corner and start anew.

Sebastian sighed at the charred branches that had drifted to the near edge of the lawn. Shame that old cherry blossom was gone. His late wife's favorite. It was just a sapling when the former head of the Wilder household had it transplanted from Sebastian's backyard. Sometimes, Pyrios had been a decent boss. A terrible man; but a decent boss.

The things he'd put his children through, though...

When the maid showed up for her shift, Sebastian wondered if he should warn her about the mess in the backyard. Not that she would be involved in espionage—imagine a 52-year-old bent-over woman attempting it—but it could bring suspicion upon the household. She'd become frightened, perhaps; she'd inform the authorities, and then the Estate would begin to increase security until it was seized by the government. Eventually, the government could get them all.

Sebastian knew.

Zelos didn't have to write it anywhere but his face for Sebastian to know. But a butler is a butler, and when the master of the house decides to run away for an indeterminate amount of time, discretion paid more than worry. Perhaps Zelos would be having a tête-à-tête with his sister in the South East Abbey. But no—there was no way the nuns wouldn't have contacted Sebastian by now if that weren't the case.

Sebastian could only hope that Zelos hadn't run away alone and was in the company of the _good_ friends and not the barmaids or the gamblers. The note he'd left was inconclusive.

When he looked out the window again, the space had been cleared out and there were no signs of charring aside from a bit of bald land in the center of the impact. He'd have to prepare for a few more empty weeks.

* * *

For such a cool summer's end day, the palace's receiving room seemed suffocatingly hot. What did they call it, a "moist" heat? Sheena's forehead was beading with sweat already and they'd only been in there for a few minutes. How did the King stand it? In those stuffy robes, he had to have been dying of heat exhaustion. Maybe not "dying," per se—that hurdle was already cleared. Maybe he had some sort of mana-powered fan under there. Or maybe the throne had a cooling device, thus explaining why he was sitting during this meeting.

… What was he going on about again? The King's eyes glossed over Sheena and she tried to look attentive.

"As you know, there are many systems of belief springing up in the newly united world. There are those who would believe, I suppose, that all evil and suffering exist because a single accursed being is evoking them..."

It made sense. The King had been talking about what happened a couple days ago at Carnivale with the Bomb Wizard. As it turned out, a "Wizard" he was not. However, he was a technician being manipulated by an anonymous group of people. Someone from the King's guard must have begun investigations for the King to come to the conclusion that it was religious.

Religion and faith were topics Sheena hadn't dared to breach since the Regeneration tour's end. She used to believe; even prayed at the temples for Martel's help with her mission to assassinate Colette. Obviously, that didn't work out, and she'd wondered why. But it became clear by the end of their journey. You can't beat meeting a goddess only to find out she's only a well-preserved half-elf. Tabatha, too—the doll who'd taken Martel's place in guarding the new World Tree—she wasn't much of a goddess, either. What did being a "god" mean? Sheena's only contact with the ethereal involved Summon Spirits, whom she considered to be more friends than gods, Volt aside.

The Volt incident itself had been the first time her faith was shaken. Mizuho had its own religious system wherein Martel was a goddess, but there were other holy spirits as well that were equally revered. But after it had been explained to Sheena that she was "adopted" into Mizuhoan society, she wondered if it was her faith to share. Volt only disrupted that more. After all, how could something as powerful as a Summon Spirit not understand her prayers? Why would it kill her kinsmen in a rage so that blame would be upon her? When years later the same spirit took Corrine's life, it only solidified Sheena's doubt.

Beside her, Sheena's companion replied to the King. "Do you think that bombing could have been related to a new religion?" he asked solemnly.

Sheena took solace in the fact that neither Orochi nor the King knew that the "goddess" had been replaced. That was the unspoken rule created by Colette after the naming of the new Tree. In Sylvarant, there were many reasons to cling to Cruxis and the Chosen, so Colette knew it might be better not to spread around the rumor that there was "no" goddess. It was something Tethe'alla's Chosen probably never had to deal with, especially considering he viewed the religion from all sides of its corruption. The irony didn't escape her—that someone so anti-Cruxis could rise to become a "seraph" behind the scenes.

But they knew, they all knew; Lloyd and the rest. Just... if the people of the united world found out, or were in the process of finding out, Sheena wouldn't want to be the one to oppose them.

It was a wonder that this new "group" believed in something "accursed." Religion and fear hadn't been shaped by dark beings since the days of the elves with the legend of Niflheim. What could possibly be the source? Her mind ran over the mishaps in Palmacosta, Luin, and the human ranches all over Sylvarant. But those things were within Sylvarant; they had nothing to do with Tethe'alla.

How could Tethe'alla in its entirety become a scapegoat for provincial disasters? If the King had been the scapegoat, surely the Papal Knights would be lining this very room from shoulder to shoulder. That wasn't so. Meltokio; what was specifically in Meltokio that would be "accursed" if not for the King? The researchers at the lab? Coliseum matches with monsters?

"It is probably related to a religion," the King continued, unhindered. "And since we have only begun to gather evidence of the group behind the Bomb Wizard incident, I wish to entrust you with an investigation. Would you accept this task?"

"We shall accept, your Majesty," Orochi said quickly. He brought his arm across his chest dutifully.

Then the dots connected. There was only one person in Meltokio whose title meant nothing, whose figurehead status was grating on the lower classes, and whose life might be threatened if dangerous parties obtained information that the Cruxis-made system was a fraud.

Sheena had just begun to lower her head in reverence when she felt a jolt in her gut. In addition to the heat, that feeling almost sent her running to the nearest basin.

"Your Majesty, if you wouldn't mind... the 'accursed' being... it wouldn't happen to be..." Sheena's voice trailed, but when she received no feedback, she snapped her head up to look straight at the King. "Your Majesty?"

"Tethe'alla's Chosen."

"But how—?" Orochi's shock only caused Sheena to look away.

Her breath was knocked out of her. "How can you call yourself a man," she'd said. "Get your act together and take a hold of your future already," she'd said. "I'm not like you," she'd said. In the rewound tape of her mind, Zelos's expressions were avoidant and odd. It was almost like that time before the Tower of Salvation.

She should have known better. She should have noticed he was acting differently! She invoked his name to the dead air. "Zelos..."

"Yes, Zelos Wilder is being targeted."

Sheena watched Orochi's mouth as he assured the King that the investigation would proceed immediately. The words weren't making sense. Neither were the robotic bows and exits. It was just a haze, and emerging back into the sunlight didn't cut through any of it.

The two scouts walked across the even stones of the nobles' level, then to the middle grounds, then took the gate out of Meltokio before Orochi broke the silence.

"What's wrong?" he goaded. "You haven't said a word since we were in the King's throne room."

Sheena slowly turned her head, but didn't say anything. Hypocrisy haunted her. That time at the Otherworldly Gate... Zelos had been the one to pull her away, knowing that it'd be futile. He was the only one to stick up for her when she didn't realize she needed help. Orochi's voice reminded her of that, somehow...

"Sheena... it's because of him, isn't it?"

She finally looked at Orochi. "Yes," she answered simply.

"Well, the Chosen One—Zelos—he's being targeted by a group of terrorists, and if he were to stay put for too long, he'd end up involving innocent people," Orochi tried to rationalize. Sheena winced.

"He must've known that, and so he set out on that trip of his," Orochi continued. "It won't be an easy journey. The terrorists surely know that he's left the city and will pursue his life at all costs."

Sheena let her thoughts override Orochi's words. "And by doing that, he's trying to get them away from the city, away from everyone."

"And he didn't take a single companion despite the danger. Why is that?"

Sheena let a conflicted puff of air escape her lungs. "Because he's an idiot," she replied. But she promptly cut herself off to recover from the sting that rushed to her eyes. Turned away swiftly. "Only an _idiot_ would do that. He just keeps acting like he's some lone wolf. He pushes everyone away like it's the right thing to do..."

Sheena clenched her fists. He'd come for her. He wanted to take her. He'd felt safe having her around for some reason. But her, _only_. And what did she do? Couldn't read him, couldn't tell. Pushed him away before he came up with the words.

Now he was gone without having asked, leaving her confused and sad and—did she mention confused?

"He's just so stubborn... He'll just keep pushing people away to the very end... Wh-what a stupid idiot!" she gasped. She stuck her tongue to the roof of her mouth as hard as she could, but the tears were welling up and over. Blinking only sent angry trails down her cheeks that she tried to erase with balled-up hands.

Suddenly, Orochi's hand was on her tensed shoulder. "Go," he said simply.

"... What?" Faintly, a ghost of a thought.

"I'll take care of the village. Just go," he urged. The resolved look on his face reminded Sheena of the awkward conversation they'd had just days prior. If Orochi was letting her go to Zelos, he must have been sincere when he'd said he wants only the best for her. Dutiful love for a leader or something more? She was lucky to have him regardless.

"B... but..."

"The village, what the King requested we do, and the investigation of the terrorists—I've got your back."

"But...!" Sheena wrenched his hand away.

"But nothing. You spent the last year being the leader Mizuho needed. If you need a break now and then to return to living as 'Sheena' instead of 'Chief,' I know of nobody who would complain," Orochi soothed.

Sheena took and held a deep breath, willing herself not to let another tear fall. "Orochi—" she began.

"Go," he chided, glancing in the distance.

"Th-thank you. Thank you, Orochi!" Sheena yelped.

She turned without looking at him and faced "north, or where the wind" would take her. Walking quickly turned to jogging, then to running. She left Orochi standing in the field with an empty-sounding, "I'm sorry" echoing behind her. Whether it was for Orochi or Zelos, Orochi was left wondering before he continued on the path to Mizuho.

* * *

The fork in the road gave only two options: west to Sybak, or north toward the Forest of Death. What choices, eh? He felt like he'd made this decision before on a bleak winter's day. Instead of becoming some rooted, charred thing, he chose the path of knowledge. He'd choose it again, but much less strictly.

Zelos raised an eyebrow; he was being followed. It wasn't the heavy footsteps of men, although this assassin was bound to be somewhat clumsy if she could be heard.

"Well, well, well," he announced to the air. "Looks like there's a major decision. Which road shall I take?"

Zelos made a sweeping motion with his index finger and began to point between the two roads. "Eeny meeny miney mo... Catch a spider by the toe..."

"If he hollers, let him go," another voice chimed in.

Zelos smiled.

"Eeny meeny miney mo," he concluded. He turned around to face his stalker and swung his elbow up behind his head. "Well, well. Looks like I'm supposed to go left. But now that I think about it, I'd rather go right—as long as that girl waiting by the tree doesn't mind that I'm messing with the rules of 'Miney Mo.'"

"Not at all," the stalker called back. She began to walk toward him, pink tails of her obi fluttering in the wind; like an oasis, not quite believable in her mirth.

There were so many things Zelos could have said. Self-righteous; "I knew you'd cave." But he didn't really expect her to join him. Moreover, he didn't expect her to find him so quickly after he stormed out like that.

That's exactly why it had to be her, though. Lloyd wouldn't have taken him seriously, or would have realized far too late. Having Seles or Sebastian with him would have made him an easier target. He couldn't think of a reason for Regal to fight tooth and nail for his survival.

Sheena found him, and that was the best answer he could get. When she reached his side, Zelos extended his hand, but she laughed and pushed it away.

"All right, then. Let's get a move on, _princess_," Zelos said flatly.

"… Hope I don't regret this," Sheena said under her breath. Zelos was about to protest in a loud, brazen manner, but found when he looked over at her face that she was still smiling. A joke.

"What was that?" he asked anyway.

"Ah—! Nothing. Let's be on our way!"

With the sun in their eyes, the pair of them continued down the simple road toward Sybak. Zelos briefly wondered whether he should have worn a less heavy disguise, but his thoughts were interrupted by Sheena's enthusiastic question.

"So where are we headed, exactly?"

"Tch, some ninja skills you have. We'll be hitting up Sybak if we continue on this way!" Zelos chirped.

"College town," Sheena mused. "How are we going to keep the barely-legal women from crawling all over you?"

Zelos skipped ahead of her. "Already thought of that! It mostly involves me wearing a disguise. You might have to not namedrop for a little while."

Sheena looked as though she was going to _not_ trust him for a teensy second, but realized that there was nothing he could do that would have been worse than letting himself die for the sake of Cruxis. "Fine, fiiiiine."

Once she matched his walking pace, Zelos flung an arm around her shoulder. "See that beautiful sunset?" She grunted. "That means it'll be nighttime soon. We'd better go a little faster if we don't want to sleep in the open tonight."

"… So this is going to be like the Regeneation journey, isn't it?"

"Whether we're sleeping outside or hopping around hostels, I promise, this is going to be so great!" Zelos proclaimed.

But then, he made Sheena nearly stumble as he stopped her with both hands on her shoulders. With a serious tone, he said, "Oh, but before we get too far along, I need to get something straight. I thought of some rules for the trip. Nothing big..."

"You? Rules? Let me call the newspaper. I think this is a first," Sheena quipped. She didn't budge against his hands.

"You wound me. I'm kinda being serious," Zelos replied.

"... Again, I think this could be a first!"

"—Would you let me say it already?"

"Be my guest."

"We can't stay anywhere for more than one night. No matter how great it is. That's the rule," Zelos stated.

Sheena tilted her head. "That's it?"

"It's going to be less easy than you'd imagine. No matter how much you wanna stay somewhere, we can't be spotted there for longer than one night. No cozy sleeping in or getting friendly with the locals." Zelos paused for a moment. "Or sleeping with the locals, now that I think about it."

Sheena laughed hollowly. "I really think that was more for you."

"You, me, whoever. I'm just saying. One night, then move on. You got it?" Zelos took a step back and crossed his arms.

"I got it," Sheena huffed. "Anything else?"

"You're the guest, here," Zelos reminded.

"... What about... How are we going to deal with laundry? Meals; who's cooking?" Upon seeing Zelos's still face, she sighed. "You haven't thought about any of this, have you?"

"Well, up until now, I wasn't expecting to have a companion," Zelos explained.

Sheena looked at him while counting on her fingers. "So, cooking should be alternating every day for who-makes-what, I think. Dishes, whoever didn't do the cooking. And laundry... if you don't do anything weird, we can split that every few days," she decided. "Oh, and... no doing anything weird. That's my rule."

Zelos rolled his eyes in a playful flash. "As if you have anything I haven't seen before." Sybak was the very place where Sheena had forgotten to lock the bathroom door, after all.

Sheena turned bright red. "Yeah, like that. Don't be weird!"

"I'll try my best! But you can always leave if you don't feel comfortable."

Sheena concentrated on the sunset. Even if he acted weird, she couldn't leave him traveling like this on an open road with the threat of being murdered at every turn. Anything he'd ever done to make her feel embarrassed had been a joke, in the end. She thought of his breath on her ear.

"It's fine," she barked.

"Well, then, let's go to Sybak. I figure we can get a room for the night pretty cheap, and then worry about sleeping outside after that. After all," Zelos indicated, "you haven't brought anything with you."

"Well—I—until now, I wasn't planning on being your companion, either. Like you said," Sheena echoed. She hadn't been coming from the direction of Mizuho, that's for sure.

"... I won't ask," Zelos resolved. "You know what they say. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth!"

"_Wh-what_ did you just call me?!" Sheena fumed.

Zelos switched between laughter and begging for his life as dark overcame the sky.

* * *

In Sybak, the air hummed with music from a block party. Instead of lonely patches of light only being emitted from the library, there were towering stadium lights revealing the entire town square. The band was playing somewhat badly at the nearby wall. Off in the distance a bit, the bazaar had expanded to cover about half of the space. It was a lazy crowd that milled through the lanes of stalls. Teenagers spilled their plastic cup courage onto the stones, carelessly as ever. When Zelos surveyed them through his mask, the years had changed researchers who used to be peers into indistinguishable children.

Some guy strutting around in a long knit hat was distributing a drink that he called "Disaster." Sheena had asked, "What's even in this?" But before she could protest, an overflowing cup was shoved into her gesturing palm. The kid in the knit hat pushed a cup on Zelos, too, and the crowd around them began to carry the traveling duo closer to the bazaar.

In a pocket of unoccupied space, Sheena frowned into her cup. The color was a dank green-orange; altogether muddled in comparison to wines and potions from bars and store-bought bottles. She'd never seen anything like it. "Wow, this looks like—hey, you're not seriously going to drink it, are you?"

That sidelong smile. He'd been there before, with drinks mixed way too strong. His trick was never to drink more than your companions. That way, you could always have the upper hand, if that's what you're looking for.

Zelos brought the cup to his mouth and took a hearty swig. He paused; looked around, then down at himself, then back at her. "It's not poisoned. I think we'll be fine."

"H-how do you expect me to drink this?"

Sheena's eyes traced from the drink to a group of dancers who weren't so much moving to the music as thrashing around. She looked back at Zelos. Even in that ridiculous cloak, he looked more like himself than ever. Smug grin on his face. Not-quite-wholesome twinkle in his eye.

"We can play a drinking game," he suggested with a lilt.

"Uhh—that's not really what I was..."

Zelos settled his weight in one hip. "You used to beat Lloyd every time during the Regeneration."

Sheena sighed. It was true, although she'd been much more in drinking shape back then due to her regimen of Igaguri training—building up resistance to various poisons. "Then, truth or dare," she offered. "Or swallow a thousand needles."

"Man, what's with you Mizuhoans and your stomachs of steel?" Zelos griped.

"If you want, you can just drink mine. I'd much rather shop for supplies, seeing as I don't even have a toothbrush on me!"

"No, no! Let's play. I'll go first: Truth or dare?" Zelos conceded.

Sheena rolled her eyes. "It's way too early in the night for truth. Dare."

Zelos glanced around the bazaar. "I dare you to..." He paused, laughing to himself. "Drink that in one sip!"

"Oh, come on..."

She held on to that memory of Orochi when he'd been so patiently persuading her to follow her heart. _You didn't have to do this_, she told herself. _There's a reason._

"Chug! Chug!" Zelos chanted.

Sheena took a deep breath, then took the rim of the cup to her mouth. Ugh, it smelled like molasses. But she wasn't going to lose a dare to him this early in their journey.

Upending the cup swiftly, Sheena swallowed as much of the "Disaster" as she could. Almost immediately, her stomach began to swim. The mixture wasn't unlike medicine as it burned its way down. When she opened her eyes, she saw Zelos was sipping from his drink as well.

"H-hey! You can't drink! You didn't tell me a truth!" Sheena shouted.

"Oh, was I supposed to?" Zelos asked sarcastically. He proceeded to finish the contents of his cup and place it on the ground—so she wouldn't have the change to smack it away.

"—Z—Ch—Argh! You idiot! I can't even yell at you in public..."

"Fine. Here's my truth. You're adorable when you're angry." With a smile, he began to walk past her and toward the nearest stall, an arms dealer.

"HEY!" Sheena shouted. He was either drowning her out with the student band's music or choosing not to listen, but it enraged her nevertheless. In a city with this many people, when it was just the two of them and she, completely unarmed; why was he going back to being that same old jerk?

She gulped down the dregs of her "Disaster" and—perhaps out of spite, perhaps out of haste—threw her cup on the ground as well.

When she caught up to her companion, he was admiring a shield with a mirror shine. In the reflection, Sheena watched her own expression. She was ready to shout at the top of her lungs at him, but the shield started to bend and blur. Even the edge of anger held a pleasant buzz. Instead of lashing out with her usual hammer-fisted bashing, she ended up mesmerized by the shield, then by all the weapons.

With the world a little dulled, Sheena's change purse became lighter. First, she picked up a satchel with—and she wouldn't like them in the morning—leather tassels, and somewhere they'd been selling organic soaps.

… What a pretty hair comb. Not for actually combing hair, but just to adorn it. Where did that come from?

Suddenly, Zelos had gone off, "Gotta pick up some..." Muffled by the crowd.

"... Okay..."

She found herself staring at a case of jewelry. It shone as though it were the sun itself, which in retrospect meant that one of those tall stadium lights was hitting the glass at the right angle.

There were bangles and necklaces, but those were things Sheena rarely wore. They got in the way. Now, rings could be worn under anything and wouldn't make noise. Rings could store gels and poisons. She had them on the last journey, so why not this one?

"Those ones," Sheena slurred, pointing at the red and blue gems. The shopkeeper lifted them from the display case and placed them on the counter. "How much?"

"I'll give the pretty little lady a deal," the shopkeeper said. "50 gald for both. I won't budge."

"'S no problem, I need some sort of souvenir!" She fished for coins in her pocket and made sure to trace the rim of each one to ensure it was the right amount. She set them down on the counted and swiped the rings in the same motion.

"Heeey, whatcha got there?"

Sheena looked over her shoulder and noticed that Zelos had found her among the crowd and was now peeking to see what she'd purchased.

"It's none of your beeswax," Sheena dismissed, and pocketed the red and blue rings just as swiftly as she'd bought them.

Zelos surfed his eyes across the merchandise and traced a finger along the counter. "Ahhhh, so it's jewelry milady wants!" he said to her. "I wouldn't have expected for you to act so feminine at a time like this!"

"It's not like that. Let's just go look for what you wanted."

"Ah, but wait!" When Zelos looked up again, Sheena had begun down the street to other vendors. Again looking to the display of rings, Zelos noted that there were two vacant slots in the topmost grouping.

"'Scuze me, sir," Zelos addressed the shopkeeper. "She got the ones in that empty spot, right?"

"Indeed she did, my friend. The one right next to it is supposed to complete the matching set!" the shopkeeper replied. "She left so durn fast that I couldn't sell her on it. Couldn't help but give a pretty lady what she wants, I'm a useless salesman! What about you, though, eh? Looking to unite the pair?"

Zelos inspected the left-behind ring. It had a green gem set in gold. Cheap-looking in every way. He had rings of every variety back home that would exceed the value of this one by thousands of times. Yet, this plastic thing kept staring at him and begging him to reconsider. On any other day, he'd have been on his guard.

"Unite the pair, eh? Well, you know, the great—" He stopped short. "_Such_ a great guy like me is all about uniting pairs, if you know what I mean," he crooned instead.

The shopkeeper shared a laugh. "Ah, I see, I see. Well, value of it is 40 gald."

Zelos raised an eyebrow but refrained from questioning him. "I suppose it'll have to do for now. My girl's run off!"

The shopkeeper extracted the ring carefully and placed it down. "40, then."

Zelos grabbed a bill from his pocket, knowing that it was worth more than anything in that case of shoddy workmanship. He handed it to the man before taking the ring. "Keep the change and use it for some new tools," he advised.

As Zelos turned and walked into the crowd, the shopkeeper looked up in shock. "H-hey! Just who are you to be throwing that around?!" he shouted somewhere between ecstatic and suspicious. But that's how Sylvaranti traveling salesmen people were when it came to those with money.

Sheena puttered around the stalls of the bazaar and wound up in one with weapon replicas before Zelos found her. On the wall, there were two crossed swords mounted on a wooden rack. "Hey, look! They have Lloyd's swords at the shop!" she shouted to him on approach.

Zelos jogged to close the distance and squinted at the wall. "Oh... Hey, swords of the eternal something-or-other!" he remarked.

"I can't believe they have them!" Sheena said excitedly.

"Me either, I guess." What an interesting choice for a stall shop. It wasn't even an actual blacksmith's stall, just some wood-and-lacquer junk probably intended for kids. Zelos couldn't decide whether it was a slight or a blessing that his own sword wasn't included among the rest. Lloyd sure was getting pretty important around Tethe'alla. "Hey, come over here for a sec," he suggested."

"Did you find that thing?" Sheena asked in earnest. She must've been at that point in the night not to question what he was going to do. Ah, yes, drunk o'clock.

He took her by the arm into the middle of the path. "No, but trust me, this is going to be better. I thought of a way to get rooms really cheap!" he laughed. "But you _have_ to trust me and play along."

"Just what are you going on about? I thought we were going to sleep outside!" Her genuine confusion added to his act.

"But, my _dear_," he overemphasized. He jumped to his knee and took her hand. "I got you something!" Chuckling like a madman, he grabbed the cheap ring from his pocket and waved it around before her.

First Sheena stared. Then she laughed. Then the crowd started to stare.

"What, _that_?" she snorted.

"I saw you look at it from afar, and I knew my darling had to have it." Zelos put it on her ring finger, but made sure it was the wrong one. When Sheena twisted her face in confusion, he put his finger to his lips.

"Darling," he continued, "You're the only one for me! Please say yes!"

Members of the young crowd chattered feverishly. Oh, he had them in the palm of his hand. He stood and leaned into her ear. "They'll give us free stuff if you play along," he whispered. "What do you say to that?"

"_Yes_," she shouted immediately, laughing and punching him in the arm.

The crowd cheered and clapped.

"Ah, she said yes! But what will we do? I spent the money for our hostel stay on your beautiful ring," Zelos whined loudly. He leaned to his left and flashed a look of handsome despair.

"This is so wrong!" Sheena hissed through her fake smile.

Zelos felt a hand on his shoulder. When he turned, he saw a face that was familiar—in the way that any man's face was familiar, but not as distinct as the face of a woman. This man's face seemed familiar to a woman's in particular, though. From where? He supposed that this _was_ Sybak, and therefore anybody could have known him there. Back in the day, he'd asked so many girls to take notes for him in class.

"Hey, you look familiar!" the man said.

"You do, too—"

"You're the—!"

"HEY! Thanks for the congrats; do you think we could get a little privacy?" Sheena interrupted.

As Sheena pushed the Chosen into the more adoring part of the crowd, Zelos realized why the face was familiar. "His sister. His sister," he said to himself. Janet, who studied with Countess Rattenmeier in Meltokio.

Janet hadn't even been in Meltokio for three years, but he'd heard her practicing every now and then. How had it come to pass that he could spot the face of her brother based on her face? How, indeed. He hadn't visited his own sister while she was conscious for a few months. The only nice thing he'd done for her in years was to switch out that Exsphere.

Zelos thought briefly about that round little weight on his chest. Better to have left it with Seles, who would need it. As he looked back to Janet's brother—Horatio? Something like that—he realized he'd put his hand up to cover the Exsphere. All the cloaking and masking and yet, he'd forgotten about that unique leech.

The alcohol-induced panic peaked when he felt someone bump into him. But luckily, it was somebody else's sister, or daughter at the very least, who was happy to extend the offer of empty dorm rooms to the pair of them. Not great, but it was the best they were going to get.

* * *

The next morning, Zelos met Sheena at the cafe in the back of the inn. They sat in the corner away from the sun, although autumn weather was creeping into the region and cooling every ray. Sybak's engineered coffee beans were becoming world-famous, so it made sense for young-looking to meet in one of their coffee houses—not in any way where a wanted man would hang out, Zelos reasoned.

"Morning, sunshine," he grinned at her hangover-weary face.

"Bite me," she growled. "Or rather, get me that pickled apricot drink from back home. These kids don't know how to make a cure." She soothed her temples with her hands.

"Hey, where are your souvenirs?" Zelos pointed to her right hand, where the infamous rings were missing.

"Ughh... Don't remind me about my poor decisions. I threw 'em away."

He laughed darkly. "Yeah, those were more of a bad joke than anything. But at least we got those rooms, eh?"

Sheena looked at the grain of the table purposefully. "Yeah, at least that..." She put a hand in her pocket. "So, where are we off to next?"

Zelos put his hand out in front of him. "I was thinking... we might rock-paper-scissors for it." Fair; or, at least more human than flipping a coin.

"Oh, you mean _jan ken pon_?" Sheena repeated.

"Tch," Zelos huffed. "You Mizuhoans. Whatever you want to call it."

"_Jan ken pon_ **is **what it's called."

Zelos rolled his eyes. "You wanna win or not?"

Sheena set her elbow on the table and raised a fist. "I'm ready when you are."

Their eyes locked with competitive spark. Then, of a sudden, Zelos shook his arm and began shouting, trying to override Sheena's provincial gameplay.

"ROCK—PAPER—SCISSORS—SHOOT!"

At the same time, Zelos shot his fingers out flat and Sheena quickly threw a scissors gesture.

"NOT FAIR!" Zelos groused. "Not fair. Redo!"

"It was one hundred percent fair! I won," Sheena said, "and stop shouting."

"I still want a redo."

"What if we... just went wherever you wanted to go in the first place?" she suggested.

Zelos made an off-guard line with his lips. "Yeah... the problem with that is, I didn't decide where I wanted to go yet..."

"... you were waiting for me to say something so you could say the complete opposite, weren't you?" Sheena's face fell back into her hands and she sighed deeply.

"Maybe," Zelos smirked. "Well? You got a place in mind, or am I going to have to force us into the Forest of Death?"

"Ugh, not there. What about... I haven't visited Luin in a long time."

Zelos glanced at the glare in the far window. Its shadow had lowered even as they sat, which meant that the sun was climbing dangerously fast.

"I won't argue. Luin it'll be. But we'll need to get on that boat ASAP," he noted.

Sheena nodded. "All right. Let's do that." She took a breath, then swallowed hard.

"Or maybe we'll wait until that Disaster settles," Zelos added. Sheena slumped back down on the table and laughed.


	3. I Clear The Border

**3. I CLEAR THE BORDER**

With the winds of the sea at their backs, Zelos and Sheena were heading inland toward Luin. It had been raining since noon and the clouds showed no sign of a clear sky. The roads proved a muddy mess, to speak nothing of the rickety, dirty boat that had floated them to the continent in the first place. "Damn hick provinces," Zelos had said, and was then reminded by Sheena that, "These people just live a different life from what you're used to."

Less than a week had passed since the attack on Meltokio. The chance meeting of that Janet kid's brother in Sybak echoed in Zelos's mind. Something in the kid's eyes wasn't quite right, like he'd been cut off before relaying important, unfinished business. Unfortunately for Zelos, the problem wouldn't be as simple as "You broke my sister's heart." It'd be more like, "You aren't where you're expected to be," which in this age of newspaper boom could mean a lot of trouble. It was lucky that not everyone outside of Meltokio recognized his face.

Still...

There was an unshakable feeling he had since they'd landed. Sheena said something about "sea legs." He promptly stopped walking and turned around to see the path winding behind them.

From behind the tall bushes, a couple of rough-looking men emerged. Then, a couple more. More, until there were more than you could count on one hand and it suddenly looked very deliberate.

"Howdy there," Zelos called under the tilted brim of his hat. "What're a bunch of punks like you doing in a place like this?"

The men didn't answer, but Sheena had taken a few slow steps to the side to cover Zelos's back. They weren't much the talking type, it'd seem, and now they were advancing quite quickly.

"What's with the scary faces? This is a public road, y'know. We travelers get annoyed with that sort of thing," Zelos continued, lowering his tone.

One with a bandanna and a set of gnarled teeth spoke up. "Are you the one Tethe'alla calls the Chosen?"

Zelos almost rolled his eyes—as if he hadn't heard that before. Instead, he recalled a line he'd had used on him before. "Give me your name, and I shall give you mine."

Sheena, behind him, would have sighed but for the panic. They were outnumbered, by far. One, two, three, four to one. Times two.

"We have not a name to give you!" someone next to Bandanna declared.

Bandanna nodded. "We exist only to exterminate the Chosen from this world."

"... in order to have a world built upon peace!" another shouted.

"We're volunteers who fight in the name of justice!"

"Hah. Justice, eh?" Zelos turned his head to the side. Terrorists, for certain. "Mix that with idiocy, and it's the worst combination."

Sheena had already clutched a card between her fingers. "There are eight in all. They've got the advantage," she hissed.

"Then I'll take five, and you take three," Zelos decided.

"Four—I can take four," Sheena argued.

"Look, don't overdo it—"

"Oh, just because I'm a woman!"

Zelos had to stifle a laugh. "I wasn't even thinking of the fact that you're a woman," he countered, though the group of attackers didn't have a feminine face among them.

"Ah—here they come!" Sheena warned.

Bandanna charged forward with a staggering gait. "Forward, for the sake of a bright tomorrow!"

All of the bandits loosed their weapons with a ringing that seized the air. When Zelos took his own sword into his hand, he flipped it into the air and caught it. Sheena still hadn't made her first maneuver.

"Hey," Zelos nudged.

"What?!"

"Now that I think of it, you could probably take out all of these guys on your own, huh?" he joked.

"Quit screwing around and watch your back!" Sheena shouted.

In a flash, Zelos turned and scrambled an incoming ax from the right. With her cover blown, Sheena boosted herself into the air. She landed her backflip just south of the other side of the pack.

"Hah!" she said, lifting her arms into the air. Not that she didn't practice acrobatics so sparsely that this was a rarity, but she had to pride herself that even in the mud she hadn't lost her footing.

All it took was that one sanctimonious moment.

One of the men, a youngish one, had skittered past Zelos and straight to her, and stuck a pin in her neck. Instinctively, Sheena's elbow went back to knock the wind out of the boy. But he'd gone, and was gloating his victory over her while the world spun. The inertia of her elbow was enough to send her falling sideways. Lucky for the mud, now, since a dry path would have meant dust and pebbles.

"Augh—"

Poison!

Upon hearing her cry, Zelos whipped around, being sure to knock one of the guy's heads with the butt of his sword along the way. There she was, plopped into the mud with some kid looking about Lloyd's age about to kick her.

"STAND DOWN!" he barked. Without thinking, he charged forward into a roll that would take him straight to her. But knowing that protecting her would just earn him a pretty bunch of slashes to the back, he left her lying on her side and went for the young man instead. He caught the boy's throat and wrenched him into a choke hold with the silver blade biting skin.

And, maybe just for effect, he poured what mana he had left into the Exsphere to force out a hollower version of his angel wings.

"You accursed being! Let go of him!" the man shouted. His tone was harsh, the kind that made your ears rust if it kept going. Bandanna threw his weapon (a rusted farming tool, looked like) and it landed just to the side of Zelos's feet. Zelos scraped the thing under his foot and pushed it deep into the muck.

The caught kid could only whimper and thrash at his hold.

"What did you put in her system?" Zelos demanded. "What was that?"

Bandanna growled. "She's down. It's a fair fight."

"What was it? What kind of poison?"

"If you were any kind of Chosen, you'd have realized by now," another man challenged.

Sheena had gone down fast, almost instantaneously. Only a few kinds of venom could do that so quickly, and just the same kinds of venom could kill in minutes. He didn't have time for this.

"I'm proving just the kind of Chosen I am by not killing this kid," he spat. He pressed the blade harder, but not enough to cause a lasting mark. After all, the young man's blood wasn't a priority.

"Let go of him!" Bandanna ordered.

"Or what? Your weapon's right under my foot," Zelos said. He stomped on the handle of the tool to break it. "Now you know this fight isn't fair for either of us."

Bandanna clenched his lips while his lackeys looked on.

"Let me give her an antidote, and this kid will live to see another day," Zelos threatened. The rain turned cold on his forehead. "Listen, she didn't choose this."

A man laughed. "A foreign bride bought against her will?"

Zelos sneered. "Think what you will. This woman's worth more than all your lives combined, and not just because she's with me. If you let me make sure she doesn't die from this kid's cheap-ass shot, I'll give you a real fight."

"Meaning what, exactly?" Bandanna asked.

"Meaning," Zelos hummed. "I'll fight every single one of you by myself. I am the Chosen, after all."

"I'm beginning to doubt that you are, in fact, the Chosen." The moment in between was almost too thin. "But if you want to prove you're a man, you'll do it without that little sword of yours."

Zelos looked down at the young man, who seemed a little blue. Holding a kid hostage was honestly something he hadn't done before, nor was it something he'd ever felt like he needed to do—until now, that is. He couldn't even tell if Sheena breathed under the blanket of rainfall. Every second away from life-saving gel was another second closer to death.

Suddenly, he was glad he hadn't thought of trying a healing circle. If these hicks were using hoes to fight, they wouldn't know about his second set of weapons.

"Deal," he decided. He shoved the kid forward and leaped for the backpack that had been dropped on the ground. His sword yet pointed at the attackers as he scavenged with one hand for that little plastic bag. Panacea; it wasn't strictly a poison cure, but it'd have to do.

What the relationship the young man had to Bandanna, Zelos wasn't sure he'd know. He was too busy fiddling with the cap on the bottle when the kid was returned to see. He rushed to Sheena and checked her pulse quickly before putting the elixir to her lips and forcing it into her mouth.

"Come on, get it down," he whispered to her. It was tricky to keep one eye on her and another eye on the terrorists when she could go sour at any moment.

Sheena, still unconscious, began to shake. Suddenly, all the training Zelos had ever gotten for medical emergencies vanished from his mind. All the Cruxis stuff, all the stuff with Seles. What was wrong with her? Could it be she was sick on top of this poison? The rain? His blood burned.

"Hey—hey!" he called. He put a hand on her side to make sure she wouldn't shimmy onto her back, which was the most he could think to do. "You! Bandanna," he directed. "Where's the nearest place I can get her inside?"

The bandits looked to each other, silent.

"I said, WHERE is the nearest place? Don't you forget that your cheap shot of poison should have been for me. My life for hers, but you'll only get your chance if she lives!" he said, panicked.

"I... I know a place, just up the road a bit. That way. Might 'a been someone living there a while ago, but when we found it, it was abandoned," one of the attackers confessed. He took off his hat, almost solemnly, and pointed it at the road ahead.

"Y'know, you've gone soft since your wife died," Bandanna muttered.

Well, at least it would explain why they hadn't already put a knife through her chest. Thank god, if there was still one.

"Meet me there. Two hours. You have my word as the Chosen," Zelos promised. He let his wings disappear.

"Sure 'nough," Bandanna replied. The cowardly young man had ended up in between Bandanna and another man, pale and shaken. No harm done. Well, except maybe to his teeth, but that wasn't his fault so much as it was the fault of poor dental hygiene. Poor hygiene in general, these fellows.

Zelos picked Sheena up in a military carry and backed away, making sure not to turn his back to the terrorist group until they had shown a disinterest in their weaponry. Then it was time to high-tail it to the rest stop.

Somewhere along the way, Sheena had started to rouse. She gave a short moan.

"Oy, Sheena, just a little longer," Zelos panted, trying to jog.

The men were right that the place was only a little way away, but a half-mile of carrying a poisoned woman plus the entirety of their supplies felt longer. It wasn't as though he could fly over there with that kind of cargo, and certainly not without the Cruxis Crystal. As Zelos neared the porch of a small cabin, he knelt and positioned Sheena on her feet.

"Sheena, can you help me walk you over?" he asked, knowing that she was still mostly in a stupor. He took a good look at her weary face, which was etched with perspiration even in the downpour.

"Nnngh..." Sheena wobbled.

"Eh, guess it's about that time. If you're gonna throw up the meds, do it now before I give you the second dose," Zelos instructed. She looked indecisive. "Do you wanna try?"

He propped her up over his arm when she leaned forward and obliged. The splash of vomit was tinged pink, a sign of bleeding in the stomach. The poison had to have been something from Sylvarant, as Sheena would have built up a little tolerance to everything available in Tethe'alla during her training days. Some root poison, perhaps.

After the second wave passed, Sheena coughed and gasped.

"Here," Zelos offered, hobbling her over to the wooden step to let her sit. The travel pack they'd brought was drenched through, but another bottle of Panacea was safe in its plastic pouch. Zelos popped the seal and held it to Sheena's mouth, cradling her head to make sure it wouldn't just be spit out. But Sheena swallowed the mix, wheezed a little, then slumped sideways. It was altogether different from taking Panacea during a normal battle. These guys weren't playing fair.

Zelos scooped her up and brought her inside.

What a cozy place it would have been if it weren't for the whole terrorist incident. There was a small kitchen in one corner which, while unequipped with food, had a few useful gadgets and a stainless steel bowl that might be good for a number of things. Zelos turned down the handmade-looking quilt on the bed in the opposite corner and helped Sheena sit, then lie down of her own volition. Still shaking, coughing.

What kind of person had lived in this house only to abandon it in this condition? He half-expected a decaying body in the corner in some rocking chair; a grandmother old in decay. No such apparition.

Zelos took to kitchen sink only to find that it was spitting yellow-brown water; he didn't know why he didn't expect that. Maybe it was the hope that this would all be resolved easily so he could get the terrorists to stay away until they were less wounded.

Sheena's voice rose through the noise of the rain overhead. "Zelos... Zelos?"

"Working on it, hunny," he called back, fumbling through the backpack for a bottle of water. It would have to do until he could figure out how to harness the rain. He rushed to sit at the foot of her bed.

"Just a little water," she croaked out. He helped her sip it, still smelling the acid on her breath. He wondered how long he had left until his time was up. Enough time to brush her teeth? Enough time to get her out of rain-soaked clothes? Enough time to decide whether she would let him do either of those things? That was probably the time-killer itself. "No weird things," she had said. He'd have to honor it for now, but she must have been so uncomfortable. In the end, all he took off were her shoes, as they'd do her no good anyway. Her thin socks were soaked through with rain or sweat.

"It's burning up in here," she muttered suddenly, eyes closed.

"No, just you," Zelos assured. "Lemme get you a rag." He poured most of the remaining bottled water into the basin and grabbed an already-damp undershirt from the backpack to use on her forehead. "Here you go."

"Hahhhhh," Sheena sighed, "That's much better."

Zelos let his hand linger on her brow for a moment, pushing back a soaked lock of hair. Good thing she was so sick she wouldn't say no. Good thing she was well enough to talk by now. But her eyes fluttered half-open, and for a second Zelos thought she would bite his arm or something for not leaving her alone.

She didn't. Instead, she gave a weak smile and tilted her head into his hand. "Thanks," she said.

Zelos found himself smiling back at her in one of those infinite moments where he could almost—almost—be sure that if he came closer, she wouldn't retaliate. But now wasn't the time. "No _problema_. Besides, the rain's still coming down pretty heavy outside. You're set! You'll have so much water you could drown in it, and it still..." He stared out the window at the slanting rain, waiting for that crash of thunder, waiting for it to get worse. "... wouldn't give up."

"... it's pitiful... isn't it?" Sheena muttered, head now turned away from him.

"Hm?" The rain?

"That I couldn't even... take out four guys," she wheezed. "And then, passing out like that..."

Zelos traced his thumb across her cheek and brought his hand down to hold hers. He wasn't about to tell her.

"Yeah, kinda shitty for a ninja not to recognize she was poisoned in the first fifteen seconds of the bout, huh?"

"But I was..."

"Don't worry about it. Just sayin', it's lucky that I found this place and had enough Panacea, eh? But now you can sleep it off for a couple hours, and we'll be back on our way." Zelos looked down at his boots, the splatter of vomit that lingered there.

"Zelos?"

He looked back up at her. "Yes?"

"Aren't _you_... hurt?"

"Heh. Don't be foolish," he dismissed. "You think someone in such a perfect condition as me would allow myself to be wounded by those jackasses?" He thought of his boots and hooked his feet under the bed frame. "Ta da! I cleaned up while you were out."

When she got a far-off look, he continued, "Don't worry about me. You worry about other people too much, you know that? You should try to rest."

"I'm sorry. But... to face eight men on your own," Sheena yelped, "It had to have been difficult—" and launched into a small fit of coughing. Inflamed airways would take a bit to widen, still. She couldn't have known that not enough time had passed for him to have...

"Just sleep."

"M'kay..."

"Your prince is here to watch over you," Zelos chuckled. Rather a prince than a Chosen. Rather a lie than to worry her.

"I... leave it to you."

She looked to be drifting off, chest rising evenly. But her hand still clutched his, and she squeezed it briefly. "Hey..." she whispered.

"Mhm?" Zelos responded.

"Doesn't this make you remember..."

Not really, Zelos thought. He didn't really want to think about anything but knocking out some terrorists. "What's that?"

"That one time... when it was raining, too. And we were with Lloyd and the others. I... I don't remember which city it was, but I got caught in the rain and got the flu."

Zelos's face twisted up. "Well, gee, now that you mention it…" He was glad that her eyes were closed.

"And you," she began, taking a pause to wet her chapped lips, "You left me behind to paint the town red."

"Aww, man. Guess I'm not livin' that one down any time soon."

"You're just that... kinda guy."

"Yep, I'm just that kinda guy. Didn't you realize?" He sighed and looked through the window. But he didn't take his hand away.

"Lloyd… it was Lloyd who kept watch over me... Then he left to beat some sense into you…" Sheena trailed off, half-laughing at the absurd memory.

"Ah… yeah," Zelos replied, still looking out of the window. He couldn't have argued it. He had been absent on the night she was sick in Flanoir. But Pronyma was not a patient woman, and it was she that he was seeing, not any number of imaginary floozies. Though of course, Zelos had the tendency to sneak around before that effort and since, and even now as he stared at the water hitting on the glass, there were people waiting outside that she didn't know about.

Sheena's voice sharply roused him from his thoughts. "Everyone was angry… but I… I understood…"

There was no way she could have guessed where he'd been back then, yet she seemed vehement to make some sort of point. What was this, forgiveness for his betrayal? Hadn't she gotten over that after she'd beat him to a pulp upon his return? She was too honest for her own good, rambling in the haze of the poison. He had to stop himself from thinking about it.

Instead, he reached out and put the back of his hand to her forehead. Warm, but not boiling. She wasn't perspiring yet, but she'd be fine for the next half-hour or so if he needed the time. His hand brushed the side of her cheek again before retreating. "Sleep," he told her, "Just go to sleep, sweetheart."

"Nnnhnn, 'night Zelos," Sheena muttered, and let her eyes close.

Zelos waited a few minutes, continuing to stare at the rain. "Even now, it's not letting up," he muttered idly, then looked to Sheena. She didn't respond.

Well, time to go.

Outside, the group of eight had arrived and formed a small horseshoe around the cabin. Taken aback, Zelos flashed his famous defusing smile. "Ah, sorry 'bout that. I've made you wait, haven't I?" he said, wedging the door shut behind him.

He noticed that the poisoner was wearing Bandanna's bandanna around his neck in the spot where Zelos's sword had been. Maybe his son. Either way, Bandanna stuck out like a sore thumb, his half-broken handle poking out of his fist.

"Have you finished your business?" Bandanna asked.

Zelos raised his eyebrows, then took a few labored steps forward. "Well, sort of," he appeased.

If he could lead them away from the cabin, it would be better. If he could get on the other side of them, it'd be best.

"We hope you keep that promise, seeing as how we gave you plenty of time to look after the girl in our little exchange," a man on his right said.

"Shut your trap, I got it, I got it," Zelos stalled. He took a moment to undo his belt, then let the sheath, sword, and belt itself fall to the ground. "Fair is fair. You satisfied?"

Again, the group was silent yet abuzz with primal energy.

"Just remember—you'd better keep your end of the deal. Whatever happens after this," Zelos began, then took a breath, "don't even think about laying a finger on the woman inside."

Bandanna looked to his second, the apparent widower with the hat, who nodded.

"You can die without worrying," Bandanna assured with that crooked bite.

"Ah, say what you like, but even without a sword, I'm pretty great at this whole sparring thing."

"Whatever you say. Now, die!" Bandanna lifted his weapon and began to attack.

Zelos counted. Only one sword among all of them. Bandanna had that hoe-scythe thing; the kid had small knives; the one with the ax from before, and then a couple more with axes; widower with a shovel; hammer; and then that sword.

Their mistake was letting the man with the sword be on the end of the horseshoe. It was a pocket to keep him and his weapon safe for Zelos's plucking later on. But first, he slid through the mud to the other side of the formation and prepared to give them a light show.

* * *

The healing circle was barely any good. Well, sure, it stopped the bleeding, but the wounds were still fresh and the old blood would dry right into the clothes. A good night's sleep and a shower would be the obvious solution. But the shack was small and unequipped aside from the small mattress and that damn dirty faucet. Zelos stripped out of the travel clothes outside, letting the rain take care of most of the dirtied wounds and fabric. Without soap, it'd only do so much, but he couldn't risk anything. His other set of traveling clothes turned out to be dashed with mud and just as travel-worn. None of his clothes would survive another day, likely, and that'd mean they'd have to get to Luin as soon as possible to replace them. They'd have to get there anyway to pick up more potions.

And speaking of Panacea, Sheena was still sleeping inside, no better or worse than he'd left her.

Thankfully, even though the stock of wood near the shack was drenched, a couple of pieces were safe inside. All he had to do was make a fire and clothesline and pray Sheena was knocked out enough while he sat naked on the floorboards drying his hair. The night grew darker as the stove expended its fuel, but Zelos thought to light a small candle with the embers. He tied back his hair and grabbed his still-damp underwear from the makeshift clothesline before sitting on the edge of the bed, exhausted.

On the other end of the bed, Sheena turned and opened her eyes.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Zelos asked softly. He scooted closer to her, but she only blinked blearily back at him. "You should try to get a little more rest. Sleep tight."

He tried to hide his wounds in shadow before grabbing a handful of blanket and reclining on the far, far edge. Maybe if she was still half-asleep she wouldn't notice his state of dishevelment or be bothered by the fact that he was lying down in the same bed as her.

"That's not from before."

When he glanced back, Sheena was pointing her finger at him.

What, the hair? The lack of shirt? He rubbed his eye with his hand. "Uh huh," he dismissed.

"That wound," Sheena asserted. She reached out her hand and placed it suddenly on his chest, on the gash under his key crest that hadn't quite started to close up. Zelos looked down, then back at Sheena's hazy face.

"Uh huh," he said, placing his hand over hers to try and pry it away. Wouldn't be good for it…

Sheena's fingers curled around Zelos's hand. She stared at him with furrowed brow. "What… happened?"

"It was nothing." He guided her hand down to the mattress and adjusted the blanket over her shoulders. "Sleep now."

"But—"

"I'll be angry if you don't," he droned. "Just close your eyes."

"A-all right. Goodnight, Zelos."

Finally. Zelos turned and blew out the candle, then tried to be comfortable with one of his legs dangling off the side of the mattress. It might not be an easy night, but better to be modest than wake up with a slap to the face. For Martel's sake, the Exsphere wouldn't heal him if he didn't get decent rest. It was different than the Cruxis Crystal, needed more time.

"… Hey, Zelos?" Sheena whispered.

He felt a soft tug on a few strands of hair, but his eyes remained closed. "Mmm." Wasn't going to stop her unless she suddenly yanked it.

"No… it's nothing."

The rain pattered on overhead; it sounded a little bit like paradise. But he was drifting into sleep and couldn't be bothered anymore.

"'Night."

* * *

Zelos had been up for hours. Maybe it was the nerves that woke him up before Sheena roused from her faded fever. Wasn't like her not to wake up first. As he looked at her even now, he had to be sure she was still breathing. The sunlight coming in from the window threw shadows on her face that made her look older, much older. Doubtlessly, the poison had done a number on her system. What would she have done if he hadn't been there? Would she have succumbed to death there and then in the muddied road?

But then, he thought, she wouldn't have gotten into that situation in the first place. It could have been him lying there, decaying alone. He was lucky it wasn't, and he was lucky that he could spend this sequestered time with Sheena. Hopefully she'd appreciate it, too.

She was waking now, the shine cutting into the hazel of her eyes. Shimmered like the field-plains of Palmacosta.

"Good morning, princess," he hummed from his lean against the windowsill.

"Morning already?" Sheena stretched under the quilt.

"It was quick, wasn't it? Good thing you're pretty tough."

Sheena inspected herself and sat up on her elbows. "You didn't change me out of these clothes."

"You wouldn't have wanted me to," Zelos reasoned. His clothes were surely in better shape, but it was only a matter of time before Sheena would see the dried blood in lighter patches.

"Ugh, next time, I give you permission," she groaned.

"Whaaaat? Who are you and what have you done with Sheena?" Zelos gesticulated.

"It feels like I slept in a sack of potatoes!"

"Wouldn't you have beaten me to a pulp if you woke up naked?"

Sheena shot up. "Wh-who says I'd have to be naked?! Just the muddy parts!"

"Look at yourself. What's not muddy? It was raining, everything was soaked through."

She closed her mouth to swallow, but quickly stuck her tongue back out. "My mouth tastes like hundred-year-old pickles..."

"... Eh heh, that, too... you barfed on my shoe trying to expel the poison."

"I _what_?!" she shouted, embarrassed.

"It's cool, though. It was just the once. I'm telling you, don't worry about it. We'll get you all cleaned up pretty soon."

Sheena grumbled. "Fine, whatever. Where are we?" She brushed a hand through her tangled bangs and left her hand on her forehead.

"Not sure."

She glared.

"Okay, we're about half a mile from where we encountered that gang of creeps," Zelos said. "One of them tipped me off about this place."

"How did you do that? You didn't let any of them live, did you?" Sheena pressed. She kicked her legs over the side of the bed. The movement hid the flush rising to her cheeks. Half a mile was a distance she knew she couldn't have walked alone.

Zelos combed a hand through his hair. "Eh... I thought about it. That one in particular seemed like he wasn't so bad," he sighed.

Out back around the edge of the cabin, a couple of shallow graves would have said otherwise. The widower, the one who told about the cabin; he was the one with a shovel as a weapon in the first place. Almost felt bad. Almost felt like this could have been his late wife's cabin out here by itself.

"They're all bad. They're trying to kill you." Sheena caught his gaze.

"Yeah... They are," he admitted, "but they're doing an awful job."

Sheena nodded. "I guess we lie low for a little bit longer."

"Can't be helped."

"... You're not gonna say anything about...?"

Zelos simply raised interested eyebrows.

"You know..." Sheena tilted her head forward. "'_The Great Zelos Wilder Can't Be Defeated Because He's Just Too Pretty, Seriously_,' by Friedrich Callon?"

"Ah hah hah!" Zelos threw back his head. "That's all right, but it doesn't have the right ring to it, y'know? Obviously, the Great Chosen One defeated the terrorists with my devilish good looks."

Sheena rolled her eyes as sweepingly as she could. "Oh, brother."

"And saved the heroine, who had been poisoned!"

"Not this guy again," Sheena groaned. "'_Uphill both ways in the pouring rain!'_ Give me my toothbrush, will you?"

Zelos looped a strap of the soggy backpack onto his arm and brought the whole thing over to the bed. "If you're feeling well enough, we ought to head out soon."

Sheena dug in the backpack for her cheap toothbrush, which she'd wrapped in a handkerchief. Slowly, she made her way to the small kitchen's sink. Not even bothering to check the faucet, she used rainwater that had been collected in a familiar-looking bowl, set thoughtfully beside the basin by Zelos, no doubt. Just getting the slime off her teeth hardly did a thing compared to the dirt woven into her clothes.

She sighed, then looked over her shoulder, where Zelos was sitting idly at the foot of the bed. It was only then that she noticed a few choice stains on his clothing. So, what she had seen when she was sleeping wasn't her imagination. The stains were much too sanguine to be mud. What a liar, that one. What a fool.

Rather than bother him about it, Sheena decided to replace her toothbrush quietly. After all, if he wanted her to know, he'd have complained about it by now. A stupid, grateful grin found its way onto her face.

* * *

At the bridge to Luin, Zelos stopped short. He could see almost as far as the center lake, where a looming marble fountain reminded him of last year's rebuilding.

"Wait," he instructed. "They know you here, right?"

Sheena paced forward a few steps. "Yeah, but I doubt anyone will make a big deal of it."

Not long after the exchange, the two had wandered over to the City of Rebirth Boutique, which was both adjacent to and behind the town's inn. Strange little addition considering the donations the Regeneration group had put forth for rebuilding. Nevertheless, they were glad for the opportunity to change.

"Welome, welcome! We're so glad you stopped by," an overly eager clerk shouted her greeting. One might actually assume she was glad for someone to have stopped by.

"Good morning," Sheena said with a polite bow. Mostly, she hoped to hide the stench of her malodorous mouth. Zelos said nothing but stood tall behind her, waiting. And mostly, he was waiting for the clerk to recognize who Sheena was, since with his hair up and the Exsphere covered, he could pass for invisible. Small payoff, but he had to amuse himself somehow.

"And what brings you here today?" the clerk—Mindy-heart-smile on the nametag—continued, briskly meeting with them at the front of the floor.

Zelos took a look around the racks. Drab. Flat. Entirely common. They'd be perfect.

"Well, you see," Sheena said, bringing her head up and raising her eyebrows, "I'm going to need something that will help us blend in."

Mindy-garble took a second glance. And finally, "Oh my sweet goddess Martel, are you who I think you are? _The_ Sheena Fujibayashi?"

Zelos smirked underneath a raised palm.

"Guilty," Sheena sighed through a smile. She thought about moving her heel just a liiiittle bit to stomp on Zelos's hopes of laughing from the scene. Not that his enjoyment from the scene was of her concern at all.

"I can't believe I'm meetin' you in the flesh! Just think, Sheena Fujibayashi!"

Sheena flushed a little from the attention. Thankfully, the boutique was empty aside from the three of them. "Ah... yep! It's just me."

Drawling Mindy bowed awkwardly and reached out for Sheena's hands. "Don't you know? You saved my little Eric, my little son. You turned damn near all a' our lives around out here! Oh, I just gotta do something... Can I get your picture?"

Before Sheena could open her mouth in protest, Zelos spoke. In a horribly stereotypical impression of a Mizuhoan accent. "Not possiblru. Za Chief of Mizuho is on secret mission." He motioned out in front of her with his arm, breaking the bond between the womens' hands.

Sheena's eyes widened tenfold. "Uhh... humm... My BODYGUARD here is right, I absolutely couldn't. Like I said, I need to be BLENDING IN right now. Soooo sorry about that," she said. She shot Zelos a swift look of fury. Like his red hair could ever possibly mean he was from Mizuho! If he didn't want to stand out, he shouldn't be pulling this nonsense.

"No, no, that's all right. _I'm _sorry to be oversteppin' bounds," Mindy said, holding back obvious emotion. "You do look right in need of a clean something-or-other. Can I... Can I help you take a look around?"

Zelos coughed solemnly. Or, as solemnly as his offensive joke would allow him to appear. Luckily, this clerk wasn't at all caught up on the newspaper from Tethe'alla. Otherwise, she'd have been able to guess. Oh, these rural folk.

"Oh, yes, and my bodyguard could use a change of clothes as well. You must have seen the storm that blew through here," Sheena explained.

"I sure seen it with my own eyes. Y'all coming from Tethe'alla?" Mindy said.

"Yep..."

Mindy loquaciously guided the pair of them down a few rows, shoving a few handfuls of hangers at them at a time. "With your figure? Absolutely," and "He's awfully quiet, isn't he? Shoulders on him, maybe we need this a size up," and "Let's just see if this would work out. But it probably will!"

Sheena, through gritted teeth, had to rush the process. "I'll just purchase a few things. No need for me to muddy them up."

Mindy paused for a moment. "Well, dear, there's almost no way I'd make you pay for some clothes on your back. Shoot, there's a statue of you 'round the back way, here! Take what you need for your mission, I'll keep my trap shut about this." She smiled somewhere in between genuine and confused.

Zelos caught Sheena's eyes. "Rush is no good for you! You should try on!" he insisted, waving his hands. After all, this was his vacation. Might as well get to see a pretty girl in a few nice outfits before it was back to sleeping in the open.

"Oh, knock it off, you stupid Ch—! Tr—ainee, you!" Sheena stumbled.

Mindy was torn. "It's up to you, Miss Fujibayashi!"

Sheena rolled her eyes at Zelos before selecting a few hangers from the bunch. "Here, I'll just take a nice functional one—," pants and a simple top, "and something functional for him—," more rugged-looking pants and a shirt with 3/4-length sleeves, "and... this just in case," which was a modest striped dress. Zelos nodded in approval, particularly of the dress. It wasn't often that he saw Sheena in anything other than traditional robes. "How much will that be?"

The bubbly clerk motioned them to the counter at the back. "I said, darlin', nothin' at all." When Sheena handed her the selections, Mindy folded the items neatly and packaged them in a square gift bag.

"That's honestly too kind of you. What if I gave you something so that you could buy a toy for your son?" Sheena asked. She reached for the single pocket on the pants she was wearing, but realized she had less in there than she remembered. But a cheap ring wasn't compensation, and she wasn't about to give it away. She turned to Zelos, the ever-foreboding play-bodyguard. "I don't know where my money's gone. All I have in here is lint."

Zelos leaned in to her ear—no funny business with the blowing—and whispered, "I'll give her a tip if you wear that dress out of here."

Sheena began to fume silently. "Don't put me in that position." She glared with more intense desperation.

"Fine," Zelos conceded. He reached for a few bills from the pack.

Brightening redder, Sheena all but threw the money at Mindy-heart-smile. "So sorry for all the trouble, ma'am, and thanks for your help. I'll send an official thank-you from Mizuho upon my return."

* * *

When Sheena emerged looking less than comfortable in her new dress, she was sure the day would be a disaster. But other than that exchange, Zelos wasn't demanding, insufferable, or even crude. He went quietly with Sheena as she visited various locations within Luin, like the fountain with Lloyd's giant tribute statue.

"Not at my statue. That's just embarrassing," Sheena had begged.

It was entertaining to watch her interact with the townspeople there. Lots of families approached her, grateful for her stopping the Human Ranch's operation. One child even bashfully brought her flowers.

Zelos just sat on the fountain's stoop and watched. And grinned, maybe. She had a way with the kids, didn't she? After the one with the flowers, a couple older kids came up and asked if she was really "Miss Sheena the Ninja." She could've had them eating out of the palm of her hand; she could have had him fooled any other day of the week. In none of his dreams had he imagined that she'd be the type of woman to take well to children. It wasn't as though Mizuho had a strong market for babysitting, as their lull in population growth was becoming more apparent since the Regeneration.

He didn't really think about children much, himself. Since an adolescent age, he was concerned with adults fairly exclusively. Seles was the closest thing he had; or maybe whatever servant runts the nobles had running around. But they weren't really children, either. Nor was Genis, who was just a brat. What did it mean to be a kid, anyway? For that matter, what did it mean to have a family like these ones he saw in this square?

He shook it from his mind and just enjoyed how Sheena's expressions seemed to expand when the little ones questioned her. In another life, she'd probably have been one of those girls who married young and had tons of babies for the sake of it. She was a natural.

Midday shifted to afternoon, and when Sheena was exhausted from the attention, she and Zelos nabbed lunch and headed for the hills outside of town. By the time evening caught up with them, they'd reached a lake that was familiar to Sheena.

"This place is Lake Umacy," she explained. "We went here on part of the journey before we got the Rheiards."

"Lotta hiking, huh?" Zelos asked.

"Lotta hiking. Lots of, uh... memories here." Sheena pretended to be distracted by the nearby tree, but what floated in her mind was the unicorn. That poor thing had sacrificed itself for the good of Martel. But Zelos didn't have to be the wiser.

Instead, he kept his distance. This could be just the place another gang of terrorists would hide. The untamed brush at the far edge, perhaps. They'd all but wasted the day traipsing around her playground, and though he was happy for her wellness, it would be forfeit if someone else attacked. Maybe it was best if they didn't camp out in the open.

"Oh! Look at the lake," Sheena noticed suddenly. The water obliged, sparkling with evening sun rays. "It's beautiful... isn't it?"

Zelos turned his head. Well, even the Sylvaranti sunset had a way of polishing a puddle. The blue of the sky blended into purple, then into an orange-pink. The sun was setting on the nearest House of Martel.

"If we don't find an inn, we'll have to sleep in the open," Zelos replied plainly. Not to dash her dreams, but this wasn't the time. Think of the shovel. Think of the vomit-on-boots. Think of her weary face and the gash on his chest.

They reached the House of Martel by nightfall safely, no thanks to Zelos's rushed pace. Dinner was a quiet affair, although Zelos could tell Sheena wanted to say something. Instead of having that conversation, he quietly paid for two rooms.

"Hey," he called to her before she retired. "That sunset from earlier... it wasn't bad."

But before he could elicit a smile from her, she had turned away and closed the door.


End file.
